China has announced a 7.2% increase in its defence budget, bringing the official figure to over $245 billion. However, experts believe the actual expenditure is at least 40-50% higher due to undisclosed allocations. This spending fuels the modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), strengthening its dominance across land, sea, air, nuclear, space, and cyber domains. Meanwhile, India’s defence budget remains constrained at $79 billion, with only 25% available for military modernisation. The growing gap raises concerns about regional security, particularly as China strengthens military ties with Pakistan.
